It’s easy to get caught up in the news and activities of the industry’s global giants, but what about the smaller firms pushing boundaries with bold ideas? In this instalment of Start-up of the Month – which celebrates lesser-known companies and their innovations – we speak to Jani Puroranta, CEO of Collo, a company looking to solve F&B’s liquid processing challenges. Can you give us a brief history of Collo… how it was founded, what inspired the idea, and what the core mission of the company is? Collo’s story began in 2017 at Tampere University, where our founding team came together around research into electromagnetic field technology. Matti Järveläinen approached fellow researcher Teemu Yli-Hallila with a question that sparked the idea: could they send signals into materials and learn something new from the way they responded? That curiosity led to Collo’s patent-pending solution for liquid analysis. From the start, Collo set out to solve three key challenges in liquid processing: sensor fouling and the resulting measurement drift, the lack of a single universal solution that works across all liquid processes, and the need for remote, data-driven maintenance instead of calendar-based servicing. Those goals led us to develop an RF-based sensor, unique in the market. Our mission is to help dairy, food and beverage producers make their plants smarter and more sustainable by reducing product losses, improving control, and optimising resource use. As we like to say, we measure the “fingerprints” of liquid processes to understand and control them in real time, improving safety while saving energy, materials and time. What specific challenges in F&B production led you to develop Collo’s technology, and how did you identify these opportunities? Of the 160M tonnes of raw milk produced in the EU annually, up to 4% is wasted in processes like product pushout and cleaning cycles, totalling 6.5 million tonnes of spilt milk per year. A key reason for this is that the dairy and beverage industries both rely on legacy sensor technology and measurement principles developed in the 1880s to distinguish between different liquids in the production process. These legacy tools can’t accurately measure properties such as fat or protein content, and they often suffer from fouling and drift. In industries such as dairy, efficient quality control is also critical. Consumer demand has shifted toward a wider variety of products: lactose-free milk, skyr, speciality cheeses, which means smaller batches and hundreds of daily changeovers. It’s essential to ensure that products are free from contaminants like cleaning chemical residues left after CIP operations. Can you walk us through how Collo’s analyser works and what makes it different from other process monitoring or optimisation solutions? Collo’s analysers use radio frequencies to send an electromagnetic field into the liquid and then measure its response. This approach reveals information that conventional sensors simply can’t detect, such as fat and protein content or contamination in opaque and complex liquids. Measurements are taken directly in-line, made possible by our electromagnetic field technology combined with advanced algorithms. The key differentiator is that our sensors are reliable and do not require constant calibration, since they are non-fouling and non-drifting. Traditional optical sensors quickly degrade in industrial environments, losing accuracy as they become coated with residue. Collo’s RF-based system avoids that entirely. It’s the difference between a periscope and radar: where optical systems can only “see” what’s in front of them, Collo penetrates deep into the liquid to reveal its true characteristics. We also go beyond detection. Our analysers convert complex RF data into automation signals in under one second, enabling real-time process control. That means we don’t just identify inefficiencies, we eliminate them as they happen. How have customers such as Fonterra, Danone or Valio benefited from using your solution in terms of efficiency, sustainability or cost savings? Collo’s technology typically reduces liquid losses by approximately 25 % in processing plants. Considering the dairy industry loses about 4 % of raw material due to limited inline control, the savings potential is substantial. For a single facility processing 100 million litres of milk each year, that 4 % loss equates to roughly €3 million in wasted product, energy and wastewater management. By detecting transitions and losses in real time, Collo allows manufacturers to recover that product and significantly lower their wastewater treatment costs. In beverage operations, customers have seen major reductions in CIP cycle times, water consumption and chemical usage, while maintaining high product quality and achieving faster changeovers between product types. Are there particular processes, like fermentation or clean-in-place, where Collo's technology has made a significant difference, and why? Collo’s technology has proven particularly effective in three areas: saving water through optimised, CIP cycles, eliminating product loss during pushouts, and ensuring consistent quality with raw material measurement and contamination detection. Take clean-in-place (CIP) for example. Traditional sensors struggle to reliably detect when a CIP process phase is complete and is ready for the next phase. As a result, plants often run longer, water-intensive rinses as a safety margin. Collo’s system, however, can detect these transitions in real time, allowing operators to stop cycles at precisely the right moment. In pushout processes, common in both dairy and beverage production, our technology identifies exactly when the product changes to water or vice versa. This enables recovery of valuable products that would otherwise be lost. This is especially valuable for plants running multiple products daily, with hundreds of changeovers, where even small improvements can add up quickly. Can you share a concrete example or case study where your technology has had a measurable impact on a client's operations? One standout example comes from a beverage plant. After installing Collo’s analyser, they cut their CIP cycle by 26 minutes, which was a 23.5% improvement. That included 4.8 minutes saved in the pre-rinse, 5.1 minutes during caustic circulation, and 15.1 minutes in the final rinse. The resource savings were substantial: 1,458 litres of water saved in the pre-rinse and 4,750 litres in the final rinse, plus 1,560 litres of chemicals during caustic circulation. For a facility running multiple CIP cycles every day, these savings quickly multiply. For instance, a plant performing 500 cycles a year could save over 3 million litres of water, along with significant chemical costs. This example shows how Collo can deliver both operational efficiency and sustainability benefits: faster production, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact, all at once. Sustainability is a big focus for many F&B manufacturers. How does Collo help companies meet regulatory targets or broader net-zero and emissions goals? Collo helps manufacturers make measurable progress toward their sustainability goals by optimising resource and water use. For example, the dairy industry is extremely water-intensive, using roughly 34% of all water in the food sector. These processes generate wastewater that’s costly and energy-intensive to treat. On top of that, the industry loses about 4% of production due to poor process control, equating to over €1 billion annually in the EU when you include both product loss and wastewater treatment costs. By providing real-time detection and control, Collo reduces unnecessary rinses and chemical use. A mid-sized dairy plant can save millions of litres of raw milk each year, preventing up to 11 million kilos of CO₂ emissions and 35 million litres of clean water from going to waste. Beverage operations see similar benefits, including reduced energy use from shorter processing cycles and less waste treatment. These are tangible, measurable contributions to net-zero targets. How has the F&B industry's increasing focus on sustainability and operational efficiency influenced Collo's strategy or product development? The industry’s sharp focus on sustainability and operational efficiency hasn’t just influenced Collo’s strategy – it has validated our core mission, as well as accelerated interest in our technology. With many major players committing to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, plant managers are seeking solutions that deliver both environmental and economic benefits. What’s particularly appealing is that improvements can be made without replacing existing infrastructure. Our analysers integrate directly with current automation systems, allowing manufacturers to move toward an IoT-enabled plant without major capital investment. We also focus on making our technology easy to deploy and scale. It’s not just about identifying problems – our machine learning models interpret complex RF signals and convert them into actionable automation commands in under one second, allowing immediate adjustments on the line. What have been the biggest challenges Collo has faced as a start-up – technical, operational, or market-related – and how did you overcome them? One significant challenge has been market education since this is the first truly new sensor technology innovation in liquid processing in several decades. When we introduce Collo, people try to fit it into familiar categories when we've actually created something fundamentally different. We measure the complete liquid fingerprint through RF technology, capturing properties that traditional sensors simply can’t detect. Technically, our key target has been creating analyser technology that does not foul or drift and works across all liquids and processes. Our RF-based approach has been a breakthrough, maintaining accuracy over time where traditional sensors fail. Building trust in a conservative, safety-first industry requires patience, rigorous testing, and letting the results speak for themselves. What advice would you give to other start-ups trying to innovate in the food and beverage space, particularly when introducing new technology to established manufacturers? Focus on solving measurable, expensive problems. The F&B industry won’t adopt a technology just because it’s novel – you need clear ROI and proven reliability. Start with pilot projects that show tangible value. Recognise that you’re entering a risk-averse industry for good reasons: food safety and quality can’t be compromised. Design your solution to integrate with existing infrastructure and automation systems to lower adoption barriers. Finally, align your innovation with strategic industry priorities: sustainability, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. If your technology helps manufacturers meet emissions targets while boosting profitability, you’re addressing their most pressing needs. From your experience, what lessons have you learned about scaling a start-up in the F&B sector, securing funding, or getting clients on board? The F&B sector is very different from software. Hardware solutions have longer development cycles and need patient capital. We’ve been fortunate to partner with investors who understand this, including Maki.vc, Scale Capital, FORWARD.one, and SEB Greentech Venture Capital. Customer relationships are everything. Reliability and safety are non-negotiable. Once you demonstrate consistent results, clients become long-term partners and advocates, opening doors globally. Ongoing support is also crucial. Industrial customers need partners, not just vendors. They rely on help with integration, optimisation, and scaling across multiple sites. Building that into your business model from the start is key. The biggest lesson: in industrial markets, results speak louder than anything else. When a plant sees they can save 26 minutes and thousands of litres per CIP cycle, or recover €1.5 million annually, the conversation changes entirely. Looking ahead, what are Collo's next key milestones, and where do you see the company and the wider F&B industry in the next few years? After spending a few years building and tailoring our technology for the dairy and beverage industries, our next phase will focus on commercial scale-up, primarily, though not exclusively, across Europe. There are over 12 000 dairy plants in Europe alone, and their product losses amount to over €1 billion annually. I see the F&B industry shifting from reactive to predictive process management. Real-time intelligence will become standard, allowing plants to prevent problems rather than discover them after the fact. IoT, machine learning, and advanced sensors will transform liquid processing. Collo is excited to be at the forefront of this change, helping the industry turn every drop into value.

Alpenrose Dairy has announced plans to consolidate operations and cease production at its butter, sour cream and ice cream mix manufacturing facility in Clackamas, Oregon, effective 31 March 2026. The move is part of a broader operational realignment aimed at streamlining the company’s manufacturing footprint while maintaining product availability across the Pacific Northwest. Fresh milk production will continue at Alpenrose’s facility in Kent, Washington, ensuring that the company’s core portfolio, including its well-known milk and cottage cheese products, remains available at grocery stores throughout the region. The company emphasised that the Alpenrose brand will continue to serve its loyal customer base despite the closure of the Clackamas manufacturing operations. To facilitate the transition, Alpenrose has retained Harry Davis & Company (HDC), a leading advisory firm in the dairy industry specialising in the sale of operational facilities and surplus assets. HDC has been engaged to market the Clackamas facility and its associated equipment to potential buyers. If a strategic operator is not identified prior to the closure date, HDC plans to offer the facility’s equipment assets at auction on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. “The opportunity to acquire the Clackamas facility, with its capability to produce butter, ice cream mix and cultured products, is one we rarely see become available,” said Lenny Davis, CEO of Harry Davis & Company. “This facility has tremendous heritage and brand recognition, so we expect it to generate significant interest in the butter marketplace, as well as among other dairy segments.” Located in a key dairy-producing region, the Clackamas facility has historically supported a range of value-added dairy production, including butter and cultured products. Industry observers note that such turnkey or near-turnkey dairy manufacturing assets are increasingly scarce, particularly those with established operational histories and regional brand recognition. HDC will continue outreach to strategic buyers in the coming months as Alpenrose winds down operations at the site. Further details regarding the asset sale and auction process are expected to be released closer to the transaction timeline.

Arden’s Garden, a premium cold-pressed juice and wellness company based in Atlanta, has launched Sea Moss Energy, a new functional wellness shot designed to deliver sustained energy and gut-friendly nutrition. The product builds on the company’s growing lineup of sea moss–based offerings, following the success of its Tropical Sea Moss Smoothie, introduced in 2025. Sea Moss Energy is made with fruit juices and gel derived from St Lucia sea moss and features tropical flavours including pineapple, passion fruit and lemon. The 2-ounce shot contains green tea for a smooth caffeine lift without the crash commonly associated with coffee. Each serving delivers 106 milligrams of caffeine and just 40 calories. “We have seen such an amazing response to our other products that utilise sea moss gel, so it was only natural that we expanded our wellness shot offering to include Sea Moss Energy as well,” said Leslie Zinn, CEO of Arden’s Garden. “In just six months, our Tropical Sea Moss Smoothie became a best-selling product. Consumers are clearly interested in sea moss for its mineral-rich nourishment and anti-inflammatory properties, and this shot allows us to deliver those benefits in a convenient, on-the-go format”. Founded in 1995, Arden’s Garden has steadily expanded its portfolio of fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, functional beverages and better-for-you foods. The addition of Sea Moss Energy reflects growing consumer interest in functional ingredients that support energy, digestion, and metabolic health. According to the company, the new shot was developed to support gut health and thyroid function while appealing to flavour-forward consumers. “We took the best of both worlds, functional ingredients and tropical flavours, and combined them into a wellness shot that’s easy to toss into a gym bag or lunchbox,” Zinn said. Sea Moss Energy is now rolling out nationally, hitting shelves this week in more than 1,450 Publix locations and already available in over 100 Roundy’s stores across the Midwest. Additional retail distribution is expected to be announced in the coming months as Arden’s Garden continues to expand its footprint. The product retails for $2.99 per 2-ounce shot and is available at all Publix locations.

The UK Deposit Management Organisation (UK DMO) has unveiled Exchange for Change as its new trading name, marking a key step in preparations for the launch of the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The not-for-profit body is responsible for designing and delivering the DRS across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which is scheduled to go live in October 2027. According to the organisation, the Exchange for Change name is intended to reflect the core principle of the scheme: enabling consumers to return empty drinks containers and reclaim their deposit, supporting improved recycling rates and reduced litter. Alongside the rebrand, Exchange for Change has introduced a new scheme icon, which will appear on all bottles, cans and designated return points once the DRS is implemented. Developed in collaboration with Uncommon Creative Studio, the icon depicts bottles and cans transforming into coins, designed to be easily recognisable for consumers and applicable across the full range of in-scope containers. The organisation said supporting producers, retailers, wholesalers and hospitality operators will be a central focus as the scheme moves into its next phase. Detailed guidance on how and when the logo should be applied – including placement, sizing, colour use and approved formats – is expected to be issued in the coming weeks to help businesses prepare packaging and artwork updates ahead of launch. Commenting on the rebrand, Exchange for Change chief executive Russell Davies said: “Our new name reflects what this scheme is all about, and that’s making a simple change that has the power to transform streets, communities and recycling habits across the UK”. The Deposit Return Scheme remains on track for implementation in October 2027, with further updates expected as Exchange for Change works with stakeholders across the supply chain to finalise operational and communications frameworks.

Cedar’s Foods, a US-based Mediterranean foods manufacturer, has introduced a limited-edition Pineapple Jalapeño hummus, combining organic chickpeas with pineapple and jalapeño. The launch represents the brand’s efforts to extend its presence in the growing flavoured and premium dip segment, which has seen heightened demand for bold, convenient and snackable products. It also aligns with 'adventurous flavour' trends, by combining sweet, heat and creamy textures in a single product. “Cedar’s Pineapple Jalapeño hummus is designed to deliver unexpected, craveable flavour while remaining true to our commitment to organic, high-quality ingredients,” said the company. The product can be consumed with chips, fresh vegetables or as a versatile culinary ingredient. The launch highlights a broader trend in the US dips and spreads market, where innovation and limited-time offerings are used to drive trial, increase basket size and maintain retailer engagement in a crowded category. Cedar’s already competes in a space dominated by both national brands and private-label alternatives. Founded in 1981, Cedar’s Foods offers a wide range of Mediterranean-inspired dips, spreads and sauces. The Pineapple Jalapeño flavour adds to its portfolio of classic and seasonal offerings, reflecting the company’s strategy of combining heritage recipes with contemporary taste innovation. The new flavour will be available at Kroger stores nationwide while supplies last.

Pringles has teamed up with Xbox and Bethesda Softworks to launch a limited-edition Fallout 76 Mystery Flavour crisp across the UK and Ireland. The collaboration brings official Fallout 76 Vault imagery to Pringles’ packaging, with themed tubes designed to reflect the visual identity of the gaming franchise. The Mystery Flavour format continues Pringles’ recent approach of releasing limited-edition seasonings without disclosing the flavour profile. Alongside the Mystery Flavour, Pringles has also introduced a limited-edition packaging refresh across its core range, including Original, Sour Cream & Onion, Salt & Vinegar and Texas BBQ Sauce. The redesigned tubes draw inspiration from several Xbox gaming titles, including World of Warcraft: Midnight, Sea of Thieves, The Outer Worlds 2 and Fallout 76. Grace Taylor, brand activation lead at Pringles, said the Mystery Flavour format is designed to encourage engagement and discussion. She said: “Our Mystery Flavours always get people buzzing with excitement. Our most recent ‘Santa’s Secret Flavour’ had people guessing right up to the end, until the big reveal announced it was a delicious festive truffle." She added: "But this drop – our third ever Mystery Flavour – is a full-on flavour quest. The seasoning is bold, surprising and full of twists that will keep fans debating for months on end." The Fallout 76 Mystery Flavour and limited-edition core range tubes are available for a limited time.

Violet Foods, a US manufacturer of pizza and pasta sauces, has acquired the Muir Glen brand of organic tomato products from General Mills. The acquisition expands Violet Foods’ footprint in the organic segment, complementing its existing portfolio of fresh-pack tomato brands, including Don Pepino, Sclafani and Fattoria Fresca. Don Pepino is the top-selling pizza sauce in the US Northeast. The move could strengthen Violet Foods’ position in the $5 billion-plus US tomato sauces and canned tomato market by combining nationally distributed organic products with the company’s established regional presence in fresh-pack offerings. “Acquiring Muir Glen is a transformative step for our company,” said Jim Mitchell, president of Violet Foods. “The brand’s 35-year legacy in organic tomatoes, combined with our manufacturing expertise, positions us to accelerate innovation and growth for our retail partners.” Private equity owner Amphora Equity Partners, which focuses on North American packaged food brands, said the acquisition will allow Violet Foods to leverage operational efficiencies and expand product innovation. Violet Foods plans to integrate Muir Glen’s products into its supply chain and retail network, targeting both foodservice operators and national grocery chains. The deal reflects a growing trend among mid-sized food manufacturers to consolidate heritage brands and extend market reach in premium and organic categories.

British confectionery company Langtins has expanded its product portfolio with a new freezer-free snack, Coneys, designed to capture consumer interest in ice cream flavours outside the summer season. The product, which mimics the chocolate-filled tip of a traditional ice cream cone, is packaged as bite-sized, mini-coned treats with crisp wafer shells and creamy centres. The launch range includes vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coconut and dual chocolate variants. Each pack contains six units, with multi-pack options aimed at retail channels. Langtins said Coneys addresses a gap in the UK market for ice cream-inspired confectionery in that it does not require frozen storage, providing retailers with a year-round, indulgent snacking option. The company positions the product between biscuits and traditional confectionery, targeting consumers seeking premium treats for everyday or special-occasion consumption. Founder Ibrahim Sidat said the product enables retailers to “retain ice-cream-style appeal outside peak summer months while maintaining simplicity in storage and supply”. Langtins currently distributes Coneys through UK retail outlets, with additional B2B and direct-to-consumer channels. The launch complements Langtins’ existing portfolio, which includes Noomz, a line of freeze-dried sweets, highlighting the company’s focus on innovation and flavour-led snacking solutions for the UK market.

Scottish brewer BrewDog has said it will stop producing spirits at its distillery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, marking a strategic retreat from the crowded gin and vodka market as the company seeks to simplify its operations and focus on beer and ready-to-drink cocktails. The privately held drinks group said it would wind down production of its spirits brands, including LoneWolf Gin and Abstrakt Vodka, over the coming months, while continuing to sell its pre-mixed Wonderland cocktail range. The future of the distillery site will be reviewed at a later date. The move follows a difficult period for BrewDog, which announced job cuts last year after posting a £37 million loss in 2024, its fifth consecutive annual pre-tax loss. The company has also closed ten UK bars and faced delistings of its flagship Punk IPA from hundreds of pubs as operators trimmed ranges amid weaker consumer demand. BrewDog said the decision would allow it to “sharpen focus” on areas where it sees stronger growth potential, signalling a renewed emphasis on its core beer business and higher-margin cocktail formats, which have gained traction as consumers trade down from on-trade spending. For the wider drinks industry, the decision highlights the pressures facing independent and challenger brands in the UK spirits market, where oversupply, rising input costs and slowing premiumisation have squeezed margins, particularly for smaller producers without global scale. The Ellon distillery, built in 2015 alongside BrewDog’s main brewery, was a key part of the company’s diversification strategy during the height of the UK gin boom. Its closure reflects a broader pullback by drinks groups reassessing non-core categories as capital costs rise and investor scrutiny increases. BrewDog did not disclose how many roles could be affected and said it would manage a “responsible wind-down” of the spirits business, including fulfilling existing commitments linked to cask investments and customer perks. Founded in 2007, BrewDog operates breweries and bars across Europe, the US and Asia, with around 60 venues in the UK. The company has undergone leadership changes in recent years, with co-founder James Watt stepping down as chief executive in 2024 and fellow co-founder Martin Dickie leaving the business last year. The retreat from spirits underscores a shift among drinks producers towards fewer, more scalable categories, as inflation, tighter consumer spending and retailer range rationalisation force brands to prioritise operational focus over diversification.

Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a ready-to-stir beta-lactoglobulin whey protein designed to address one of the medical nutrition sector’s most persistent challenges: poor patient compliance driven by taste, texture and lack of product variety. The new ingredient, Lacprodan BLG-100 Acidic, is aimed at manufacturers of foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs) supplying hospitals, care homes and healthcare systems, where up to half of patients are estimated to suffer from disease-related malnutrition. Unlike conventional medical nutrition powders and ready-to-drink products, which are typically milky, neutral-pH and consumed as complete beverages, the new whey protein has been developed for flexible, acidic and neutral applications that can be stirred into drinks or foods without specialist equipment. Arla said the ingredient delivers 10g of protein per 100ml serving and dissolves in around 30 seconds in hot or cold liquids, without gelling or clumping. Its low viscosity and reduced astringency allow it to be used in juice-style drinks as well as milky formats – a segment that remains largely restricted to ready-to-drink products. Medical nutrition manufacturers have increasingly been under pressure from healthcare providers to improve patient adherence, as low intake is linked to longer hospital stays, poorer recovery outcomes and higher treatment costs. Industry research has shown that around half of patients do not fully comply with prescribed oral nutrition plans, with taste and mouthfeel cited as major barriers. The launch reflects a broader shift within the medical nutrition industry towards modular, customisable formats that allow healthcare professionals and carers to adjust protein intake and volume according to patient needs, rather than relying solely on standardised, single-serve products. Arla said the ingredient can be used in both nutritionally complete and incomplete products, including powders that can be mixed into water, milk, porridge or soup, allowing protein intake to be spread throughout the day for patients with reduced appetites. From a formulation perspective, the company highlighted the ingredient’s high purity and amino acid profile, including leucine content, which is associated with muscle protein synthesis – a key consideration for elderly and clinical nutrition markets where muscle loss is a concern. To demonstrate commercial applications, Arla has developed two ready-to-stir concept products: a juice-style medical drink, which it said has few direct comparators on the market, and a complete milky beverage positioned as a lighter alternative to traditional oral nutrition supplements. Mads Dyrvig, head of sales development for specialised nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, said demand was growing for products that move beyond “conventional milky taste and heavy texture” and offer patients greater choice and convenience.

Archer Daniels Midland has agreed to pay $40 million to settle a US Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into how it reported sales between business units. According to ADM, the settlement draws a line under a probe that centred on the performance of its fast-growing nutrition business, a key pillar of the agribusiness group’s food and beverage strategy. In addition, the US Department of Justice has separately closed its criminal investigation into ADM without taking action. The SEC settlement, which ADM entered into without admitting or denying wrongdoing, relates to how the company reported intersegment transactions that affected the financial performance of individual business units, including its nutrition segment. The regulator had alleged that the practices materially inflated the results of the nutrition division, which ADM has promoted to investors and customers as a major growth engine supplying flavours, proteins, sweeteners and functional ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers. ADM said the accounting issues did not affect its consolidated earnings, cash flows or balance sheet, but required restatements of segment-level reporting. The company corrected prior-period errors in March 2024 and restated its 2023 annual results as well as first- and second-quarter 2024 filings later that year. The SEC has also brought civil charges against three former ADM executives, alleging they oversaw or approved adjustments to transactions between business units when the nutrition segment fell short of internal financial targets in 2021 and 2022. Two of the former executives have agreed to pay civil penalties, while a third case is being litigated. The outcome removes a lingering source of uncertainty around one of the world’s largest suppliers of ingredients spanning plant proteins, flavours, sweetening systems and speciality nutrition. ADM has invested heavily in higher-margin nutrition and value-added ingredients in recent years as it seeks to reduce exposure to more volatile commodity trading. Following the internal investigation, ADM said it overhauled its financial leadership team and strengthened internal accounting controls and reporting processes. The company voluntarily disclosed its findings to regulators after the issue was identified by its audit committee. Chief executive Juan Luciano said the settlement allows ADM to move forward, adding that the company had taken “extensive actions” to improve the accuracy of its financial reporting and reinforce governance. ADM is due to report fourth-quarter and full-year results next week, with investors and industry customers likely to scrutinise performance in its nutrition and ingredients businesses, which supply multinational food, beverage and health brands. Shares in ADM were little changed in late trading.

FoodNerd, a Buffalo-based food start-up focused on nutrient-dense snacks for toddlers, has closed a $7.5 million Series Seed round led by Selva Ventures. The new capital will support FoodNerd’s upcoming commercial launch on 17 February and accelerate its mission to raise the bar for children’s nutrition in a category long dominated by highly processed options. Founded by parents and built with a science-forward approach, FoodNerd is best known for its flagship product, Mega Puffs, toddler-friendly snacks formulated with whole food ingredients such as sprouted seeds and real fruits and vegetables. Depending on the SKU, each serving delivers 6-9g of plant-based protein and 7-8g of dietary fibre, a nutritional profile that significantly exceeds most conventional toddler snacks. At the core of FoodNerd’s product development is its proprietary Nutrient Lock Cold Processing technology. The process is designed to preserve key phytonutrients and macronutrients that are often lost during traditional high-heat manufacturing, allowing the company to deliver clean-label snacks without sacrificing nutritional integrity. The fresh capital will be used to scale manufacturing, expand distribution and invest in research and development as FoodNerd builds out its portfolio. The financing also included participation from Spacestation Investments, S2 Venture Partners, Cistern Capital, and several strategic angel investors. With its official launch set for mid-February, FoodNerd enters the market backed by experienced investors and a growing coalition of partners aligned around a shared vision: better food for kids, built for real life and long-term health. As the company looks ahead, FoodNerd aims to challenge legacy assumptions in the kids’ snack aisle and help define a new standard for what early childhood nutrition can look like. Top image: © FoodNerd